MULTIPLE GENOTYPES OF MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA WITHIN A HORSE POPULATION FROM A SMALL REGION IN YUNNAN PROVINCE OF CHINA

mtDNA genotypes of six domestic horses (three adult short horses whose heights are under 1 m and three common domestic horses) from a small region of 15 km(2) in Malipo county of Yunnan province of China were investigated by the technique of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with restriction endonucleases which recognize 6-bp sequences. An average of fragments for an individual was obtained. Unlike other domestic animals, this population of horses exhibits high mtDNA genetic diversity. Each of the six horses has a specific mtDNA genotype showing a pattern of multiple maternal origins, as suggested by fossil and literature records. We think the population of horses is an amazing seed-resource pool of horses and hence deserves to be paid more attention from the view of conservation genetics. However it is also remarkable that we did not find any typical mtDNA genetic markers which would discriminate between short horses and common domestic horses.

Y chromosome evidence of earliest modern human settlement in East Asia and multiple origins of Tibetan and Japanese populations

Background: The phylogeography of the Y chromosome in Asia previously suggested that modern humans of African origin initially settled in mainland southern East Asia, and about 25,000 30,000 years ago, migrated northward, spreading throughout East Asia. H

Two families of antimicrobial peptides with multiple functions from skin of rufous-spotted torrent frog, Amolops loloensis

There are around 27 species of Amolops amphibian distributed in South-east of Asia. Seven antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) belonging to two different families were purified from skin of rufous-spotted torrent frog, Amolops loloensis, and designated brevinins

Multiple bombesin-like peptides with opposite functions from skin of Odorrana grahami

Bombesin-like peptides (BLPs) are a family of neuroendocrinic peptides that mediate a variety of biological activities. Three mature BLPs from the skin secretions of the frog Odorrana grahami were purified. Several bombesin-like peptide cDNA sequences enc

Neutrality tests using DNA polymorphism from multiple samples

The polymorphism of a gene or a locus is studied with increasing frequency by multiple laboratories or the same group at different times. Such practice results in polymorphism being revealed by different samples at different regions of the locus. Tests of neutrality have been widely conducted for polymorphism data but commonly used statistical tests cannot be applied directly to such data. This article provides a procedure to conduct a neutrality test and details are given for two commonly used tests. Applying the two new tests to the chemokine-receptor gene (CCR5) in humans, we found that the hypothesis that all mutations are selectively neutral cannot explain the observed pattern of DNA polymorphism.

Evolutionary implications of multiple SINE insertions in an intronic region from diverse mammals

An analysis of the nuclear beta-fibrinogen intron 7 locus from 30 taxa representing 12 placental orders of mammals reveals the enriched occurrences of short interspersed clement (SINE) insertion events. Mammalian-wide interspersed repeats (MIRs) are present at orthologous sites of all examined species except those in the order Rodentia. The higher substitution rate in mouse and a rare MIR deletion from rat account for the absence of MIR in the rodents. A minimum of five lineage-specific SINE sequences are also found to have independently inserted into this intron in Carnivora, Artiodactyla and Lagomorpha. In the case of Carnivora, the unique amplification pattern of order-specific CAN SINE provides important evidence for the "pan-carnivore" hypothesis of this repeat element and reveals that the CAN SINE family may still be active today. Particularly interesting is the finding that all identified lineage-specific SINE elements show a strong tendency to insert within or in very close proximity to the preexisting MIRs for their efficient integrations, suggesting that the MIR clement is a hot spot for successive insertions of other SINEs. The unexpected MIR excision as a result of a random deletion in the rat intron locus and the non-random site targeting detected by this study indicate that SINEs actually have a greater insertional flexibility and regional specificity than had previously been recognized. Implications for SINE sequence evolution upon and following integration, as well as the fascinating interactions between retroposons and the host genomes are discussed.

Phylogenetic studies of pantherine cats (Felidae) based on multiple genes, with novel application of nuclear beta-fibrinogen intron 7 to carnivores

The pantherine lineage of the cat family Felidae (order: Carnivora) includes five big cats of genus Panthera and a great many midsized cats known worldwide. Presumably because of their recent and rapid radiation, the evolutionary relationship among pantherines remains ambiguous. We provide an independent assessment of the evolutionary history of pantherine lineage using two complete mitochondrial (mt) genes (ND2 and ND4) and the nuclear beta-fibrmogen intron 7 gene, whose utility in carnivoran phylogeny was first explored. The available four mt (ND5, cytb, 12S, and 16SrRNA) and two nuclear (IRBP and TTR) sequence loci were also combined to reconstruct phylogeny of 14 closely related cat species. Our analyses of combined mt data (six genes; approximate to 3750 bp) and combined mt and nuclear data (nine genes; approximate to 6500 bp) obtained identical tree topologies, which were well-resolved and strongly supported for almost all nodes. Monophyly of Panthera genus in pantherine lineage was confirmed and interspecific affinities within this genus revealed a novel branching pattern, with P. tigris diverging first in Panthera genus, followed by P. onca, P. leo, and last two sister species P. pardus and P. uncia. In addition, close association of Neofelis nebulosa to Panthera, the phylogenetic redefinition of Otocolobus manil within the domestic cat group, and the relatedness of Acinonyx jubatus and Puma concolor were all important findings in the resulting phylogenies. The potential utilities of nine different genes for phylogenetic resolution of closely related pantherine species were also evaluated, with special interest in that of the novel nuclear beta-fibrinogen intron 7. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phylogeny of the caniform carnivora: evidence from multiple genes

The monophyletic group Caniformia in the order Carnivora currently comprises seven families whose relationships remain contentious. The phylogenetic positions of the two panda species within the Caniformia have also been evolutionary puzzles over the past